More storms in the offing

You may have seen television weathercasters with animation of future radar that is often difficult to track for the average viewer. At the National Weather Service specialist at the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC) integrate the information from several computer model runs and then manually craft their own precipitation forecast.

The image shown here is an estimated total of the mean areal precipitation for the next seventy-two hours ending at 7PM CDT on Saturday.

In anticipation of the heavy rain threat, the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls has already posted a Flash Flood Watch that includes the saturated counties of southwest Minnesota for Thursday afternoon through Friday. More landscape may be added to the Flood Watch in later forecasts.

Here is a run down of rainfall totals from August 10th that ,according to Dr. Mark Seeley set daily records: MSP Airport 2.47 inches, Hastings 3.31 inches, Fosston 2.12 inches, Flying Cloud Airport 3.42 inches, Jordan 2.23 inches, University of Minnesota St Paul 4.23 inches, and Lower St Anthony Falls 4.85 inches.

Other amounts included 4.72 inches in Lauderdale, 2.70 inches in Woodbury, and 3.64 inches at Target Field. In Wisconsin 6.25 inches was measured near Glenwood City in St. Croix County.

Once again the Heat Index approached 100 degrees in the Twin Cities. More of the same is on tap for Thursday before thunderstorms bloosom.

Thunderstorms may crossover from the eastern Dakotas into far northwest Minnesota very late tonight.

CE